Letter-case label for postal cars.



I I H. n. HEPPNER.

LETTER CASE LABEL FOR POSTAL CARS.

. APPLICATION TILED APR. 24, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

: DEUUUE .l F Y A EBUDUK DUDUUE 1 1E l IE E45 u li Il if H |F 5 i Z $9 L i /5 w a HERMAN C. I-IEFFNER, OF MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

xL lEITER-CASE LABEL FOR POSTAL CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate Ia ted A r. 5, 1910.

Application filed April 24, 1909. Serial No. 491,982.

- Martinsburg, in the county of Berkeley and State of Test Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Letter- Case Labels for Postal Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The letter cases of postal cars asnow used are provided with labels for the individual pigeon holes for receiving the mail for the various stations along a route and these label holders are so designed that the car can be run on a very limited number of routes, usually two. If a given car is to be used on still a difierent route than those for which labels are provided for the pigeon holes, the mail clerk has either to apply temporary labels or to work the letter case blind, that is to say, without labels. Both methods are objectionable in that it takes a great deal of time to make a set of labels to place them in the pigeon holes and if no labels are used the likelihood of error in distributing the mail is extremely great.

The principal object of the present inven tion is the provision of a pigeon hole labeler for letter cases which is in the nature of an attachment that can be applied to any letter case when the labels of the latter are not suited for a given run or mail route.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a labeler composed of a plurality of sections one section for each vertical row of pigeon holes, and there being two sets of labels one on the front of the device and another on the rear arranged in reverse order so that the device can be turned over when the end of a trip is reached and the return trip is to be made so as to thereby reverse the pigeon holes to correspond with the reverse order of the stations along the route.

A further object is the provision of a label holder which is foldable when not in use so that the entire label equipment for the mail case for a given route can be stored away in a casing'until needed.

Vith these objects in view and others as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one of the embodiments of the invention, Figure l is a front view of one section of the labeler unfolded or open for use, intermediate portions thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is a front view of a portion of a letter case for a mail car showing two sections of the labeler applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the labeler sections folded. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the label holders. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of label holder provided with a celluloid or other transparent casing for the labels. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of an end portion of one of the label holding casings.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the letter case for a mail car which is provided with the usual pigeon holes 1 arranged in vertical rows of ten each and ordinarily provided with fifty-six of such rows and under the case is a table 2 for re ceiving the mail to be distributed in the boxes. The auxiliary labeler designated generally by B is composed of sections a, 1), etc., there being one section for each vertical row of pigeon holes, and each section is independent of another and is separately put up or taken down.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, the labeler consists of vertically extending side members 4 which are composed of a plurality of parts connected together by joints 5 so arranged that the section can be straightened out or unfolded as shown in Fig. 1 for use or folded as shown in Fig. 3 when not in use. Connected with the side members 4 are label holders designated generally by 6 so arranged as to lie in front or in alinement with the partitions 7 of the letter case A while the side members 4 aline with the vertical partitions thereof. At the top of the labeler section is an additional label holder 8 for receiving a slip or label bearing a number, the various sections being numerically or alphabetically designated so that the clerk can readily place the sections on the casing in regular order so that the pigeon holes can be labeled in exactly the same order as the stations along the route.

Each label holder consists of a strip of metal riveted or otherwise secured at its ends to the side members 4 so that the latter are maintained in fixed relation. Each strip is provided with a rectangular opening 9 as clearly shown in Fig. 4 so that a label can have the name of a station on the back as well as on the front for permitting the label sections to be reversed on the letter case whenever the end of a route is reached and the return trip is to be made. The top and bottom edges of the metal strip constituting each holder are bent forwardly and toward each other to form flanges 10 that are spaced apart from the back of the holder to permit a label to be inserted in the holder and held in place. If desired a celluloid or other tubular casing 11 may be employed as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 so as to keep the labels clean and these casings are held in place by rivets 12 that pass through the ends of the label holder and through openings 13 in the celluloid or other transparent casing. The ends of the casing 10 are notched at 14 so that the labels can be readily grasped between the fingers when it 'is desired to remove the labels for any purpose. The side members 4 are provided with slots 15 enlarged at their lower ends for receiving headed fastenin s such as tacks that are secured to the letter case A of the car. These button-holes l5 permit the labeler sections to be readily put up or taken down and the sections hang free from the pigeon holes in such a manner as to permit the mail to be easily, quickly, and accurately distributed into the pigeon holes and taken out therefrom. By applying button-holes at the lower ends of the side members 4: the labeler sections cannot swing to and fro as the car inclines in passing around curves thereby avoiding noise and annoyance.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are Within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A labeler for a case provided with rows of pigeon holes, said labeler consisting of parallel members jointed at intervals in their length to admit of the jointed sections folding upon one another, stiff strips connecting said members and provided with label holding means, and means for detachably connecting the labeler to the case, the labeler having sections to correspond and register with the pigeon holes of the case to be labeled.

2. The combination of a letter case for mail cars including a plurality of rows of pigeon holes, with a pigeon hole labeler composed of independent sections each section consisting of parallel members composed of jointed parts, label holders secured to and extending between the members, and means for detachably securing the sections to the case.

3. A labeler for a case provided with rows of pigeon holes, said labeler consisting of parallel members, stiff strips connecting said members and provided with longitudinal openings and with label holding means, whereby the labels may be read from either side of the labeler, and means for detachably connecting the labeler to the case, the labeler having sections to correspond and register with the pigeon holes of the case to be labeled.

a. In a device of the class described, the combination of parallel members each composed of hingedly connected parts, the hinges of one member being directly opposite those of the other member, a plurality of label holders extending transversely between and connected with the members, each label holder being provided with an opening and having opposed grooves for receiving the edges of a label, and a transparent casing removably mounted in the grooves for covering the label therein.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of parallel members composed of hingedly connected parts and a plurality of label holders extending transversely between and rigidly secured to the members, two of the label holders being arranged in close proximity one under the other at the top of the device.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN G. HEFFNER.

Witnesses JOHN L. FLETCHER, DAVID W. GOULD. 

